Angel Without Wings
by eremika0000
Summary: (Dimitri x FByleth) (AU) Dimitri has lost everything. His family was murdered, his throne taken, and he is on the run, labelled as a traitor. Byleth is a mercenary who saves him at his worst. To him, she is an angel without wings. Dimitri wants revenge, and Byleth wants the queen dead. But their mission against the queen was never supposed to entail this thing called love.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I'm back from a long break from writing and am hoping to get back into some old writing projects and this one! I'm in love with Three Houses and I hope you guys will enjoy this. Feedback is appreciated!_

Byleth lays in her tent, staring up at the roof, exhausted from the events of the day. As a mercenary, she was always looking for a job, no matter how dangerous it seemed to be. It was the only life she knew, but it often took its toll. After her father Jeralt had passed away of sickness the year before, she continued the wandering mercenary lifestyle they had shared, trailing across the country completing various tasks in order to make enough coin to get by. Although she always lives her life on the edge and murder was a thing she became accustomed to, it was mentally and physically taxing. So much so, that after a days work, she sometimes found herself unable to find the energy to set up her tent like usual, and would instead find a tree to lean on which she found a perfectly fine sleeping place.

However, tonight, although Byleth was exhausted, she found the motivation to sluggishly assemble her tent in the woods and plop down on her blanket and pillow, snuggling under the soft downy fur. Her mind rushes throughout the events of the day. Today, she had been given a painful task, although it paid quite the coin. In town, a shop owner requested that she retrieve stolen goods from a group of bandits who had invaded the shop earlier. The bandits had camp nearby the town, but since the town was quite poor and small, they hadn't yet gathered enough resources to invade them. The shopkeeper had been trying to find someone to help them for a while, but it seemed all the mercenaries around were too afraid to enter the camp of bandits. Byleth, however, felt no fear. She had learned well from her father in combat, and she was a master of the sword. The small group of bandits were no match for her, and she easily cut them down and retrieved the goods, as well as taking some loot from the camp. However, after she had received her reward, her tiredness caught up with her and she found herself nearly falling asleep as she walked to the woods to set up camp for the night.

After Byleth had reflected briefly on her day, she felt herself slipping away to dream world, her lids closing. A sudden horrific scream rings throughout the night, jolting her out of her sleep and up straight in her bed. It sounded like the voice of a man, and he was in incredible pain, that much she was certain of. Her kindhearted and curious tendencies tear her from her bed and she exits the tent, heading towards the direction she remembered the scream coming from. As she sprints through the woods, the wind tousling her deep blue locks, another scream reaches her ears, sounding much closer this time. It was a lower and more gurgled noise, like the person was unable to bear the pain they were in. She now could hear others, the noises of a group of men laughing sadistically and chuckling amongst themselves. She finds the group of people in a clearing in the woods, and she observes from a distance behind the bushes.

There were 8 people, 7 of them dressed in rags and tatters: clearly bandits. The last man certainly did not fit in. He was a large man, at least six feet tall and quite muscular. His hair was a striking bright blond, and it hung messily down to his neck. He had overgrown bangs which obscured much of his face, but it was twisted up in pain. He was wearing all black armor which hugged his toned body, and he had a fur robe thrown over his shoulders, giving him an intimidating look. However, on further inspection. Byleth sees that this blond man was covered in wounds. His arm was soaked with blood, dripping onto the grass beneath him. She also notices that his eyes, a beautiful sky blue, were injured. His right eye was bleeding down his face, making him look like he is crying blood.

The bandits currently seemed to be cornering him and kicking at him. The blond man was clearly suffering from severe blood loss and could hardly keep himself standing, and one of the kicks from the bandits sends him to the ground, his head in the dirt.

"You scum! I'll murder you and tear you apart!" The man screams with hatred and blood lust, but the bandits laugh at him as they start to kick his body. The man struggles beneath them, unable to regain his footing. One of the bandits steps directly onto his face, sneering down at him. "Dimitri, give it up. You've lost the throne, and only death awaits a traitor like you."

Byleth makes a snap decision. She had a feeling these bandits were bad news, and for some reason, she wanted to aid that man who was called Dimitri. That look in his eyes gave her chills, and she wanted to know more about him. She wanted to help him from this pitiful situation he had gotten into.

Stealthily, she approaches from the bushes behind the bandits, unsheathing her sword. Dimitri notices Byleth's approach, and his eyes widen. "You fool!" He hisses at her, unsure of her intentions but thinking she was going to attack the bandits.

Byleth swiftly cuts down half of the men with one swing, sending blood spurting everywhere and their bodies crumple to the ground. The renaming bandits whip around, attempting to swing their axes at her, but missing by a mile. She easily kills the remaining men with a few simple strokes of her blade, going for their vitals and ending their life in an instant. Their bodies drop to the grass, lifeless.

Dimitri cannot believe the sight before him. This tiny woman had cut down so many bandits? Not a single injury to herself? And her skill…. She was clearly a master of the blade, she had years of experience behind her. This was clear in the precision and technique in her practice.

_But why… _Dimitri wonders to himself in utter disbelief. _Why has she not killed me yet? _

Dimitri cautiously edges away from her, although still very clearly severely injured and still unable to get to his feet. He was not sure of her intentions, and she may desire to attack him next. He reaches around desperately on the grass to find his dagger, but the bandits had kicked it away somewhere. "Get away from me, I'll kill you." He growls menacingly, his right eye still bloodshot and filled with blood, but his other eye filled with ferocity.

"I'm not going to harm you." Byleth says calmly, sitting down on her knees a few feet away from him to look at him on eye level.

Dimitri is in awe at this woman who was crouching across from him like she was speaking to a kitten. "What are your intentions?" He was confused at why she would not kill him and take his possessions then be on her way. How could she profit from sparing his life? He was clearly at a disadvantage, bleeding out and unable to move much.

"I'm going to help you." Byleth crawls towards him, grass clinging to her lace stockings. Her cerulean eyes stare deep into his own, and the Dimitri feels shivers travel up his spine. This woman was striking. Although in unbearable pain, he still found himself a bit drawn in by her beautiful eyes. Yet, he also still clings to distrust. Surely she was fooling him, waiting for the right moment to strike him down.

"Why?" He whispers hoarsely, coughing up a bit of blood on the grass. This shocks Byleth back into action as she realizes again the severity of his condition. "Because I want to." She says simply, bending over and easily picking up this hulk of a man who was twice her size. She tosses him gently over her shoulders like he were a sack of potatoes. He grunts in discomfort as his injuries are touched, but he was more upset about the insult to his pride. He hated relying on others, and this was one of the most pathetic positions he'd ever been in. _Just who was this woman to think she could carry me? I can walk fine by myself! I do not need any others._

"Let me down! I do not need your assistance." Dimitri mumbles, barely able to form words anymore as he feels himself beginning to pass out. Blood clouded his vision from his injured eye, and his injured arm violently throbbed, but he did his best to bear it. He didn't need this woman… Or so he thought.

"I'll take care of you, rest easy." Byleth reaches around with her other arm to pat his head gently as a sort of reassurance. The nearly passed out Dimitri feels a warmth spread throughout him that he hadn't felt in a while as her hand briefly caressed his hair. Involuntarily, although he resisted sleep, his injured body could take no more, and his eyelids closed.

_A/N: There you go, chapter one! I'd love to know what you guys think._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks for the feedback so far! I'm glad to know some are enjoying the story. I'd love to hear more of what you guys think, it gives me motivation to write more._

Byleth carries a passed out and injured Dimitri over her shoulder through the forest in the middle of the night. He was quite heavy and muscular guy, but she was a very strong woman who made her living training and fighting, so he felt like a feather to her. Well, almost. He no longer voiced his stubborn denials against her assistance since it seemed he had passed out from his injuries. This made Byleth more concerned, so she tried to run faster to her tent without jostling his injuries too much.

She feels his blood soaking into her clothes as well, and her eyebrows tighten up in concentration and stress. She was going as fast as she could, but she didn't know if she could help him in time. She wasn't the most medically experienced, but his injuries seemed quite severe and the blood loss amount was copious, so it could be enough to die from if he wasn't treated soon.

As she heads towards her tent in the woods, she begins to think of her medical supplies that she had in her tent and how she should treat his injuries. She knew his right eye and arm were hurt for sure, but she would have to inspect the rest of him for damage as well.

Her small leather tent reaches her view, and she carries the man inside, resting him gently on her bed. It was hard to see, since she had only one candle lit up in the tent, but it would have to do. She immediately gets to work as she digs through her traveling bag, searching for her medical supplies. She sets out the required items on her end table next to the bed, kneeling down beside Dimitri to gain better access to him.

Her eyebrows knit together as she thinks of how she has to undress him, which would be difficult considering he was unconscious. She does her best, lifting his torso up slightly from the bed so she could pull his armor and cape off. She gasps when she sees how many wounds he has and how much blood was smeared across his body. However, it wasn't done yet. It was unknown to her yet if he had lower body wounds, so she would have to take off his trousers and leg armor.

She goes to the foot of the bed, ready to pull off his pants. As her fingers grab at the waist of his trousers, the unconscious Dimitri suddenly wakes from his slumber. The first thing he sees is the petite woman practically straddling his legs on the bed and her hands on the waistband of his pants, which were partially pulled down already. He blushes, flustered at this situation. "What are you- Ah!" Byleth yanks down his pants in one swift motion, exposing his short black underwear. "I'm checking for lower bodily injuries." She says calmly, her eyes tracing across his lower half. He appeared to be fine on his lower half, he only had wounds on his torso, arm, and eye.

Dimitri's face becomes more flushed as his dignity is torn apart and his manhood nearly exposed to this woman. "I can assure you, I'm in need of no-" A sudden throbbing pain in his right eye causes him to involuntarily reach to cup it, moaning in pain as he does so.

"We should probably take care of that injury first." Byleth murmurs, returning to the bedside. She uses her bucket of water and rag in her tent to gently wipe away the blood from around his eye. Dimitri feels awkward as she does this. He keeps his injured eye closed, but his other eye has no where else to look but at her face as she cleans his eye up. He hadn't felt such tender care in such a long time, and it felt foreign to him. It made him feel a bit warm and tingly.

He hisses in pain as his eye starts to throb in pain again, and Byleth looks him in the eye. "You should keep that wounded eye closed. It will help it heal, and if you don't, it might become infected. I'll make a bandage for you." She fashions a sort of eye patch looking bandage for him, wrapping it around the back of his head and pulling it around to cover his right eye only. She ties off the bandage, looking down at him with a small smile. "Does it feel okay? Is it too tight?"

"It is fine… Thank you." Dimitri murmurs, not sure what else to say. He was touched by this woman's kindness, but he also felt very guilty for her to be taking care of him, and he was also feeling lethargic and barely able to keep himself awake. His arm and eye were also causing him a great deal of pain, so he wasn't feeling very happy with himself or the situation. He hated relying on others, it made himself feel like a failure. Without her, he would have died. He owed her. He didn't know what to do about this.

As Byleth goes to dump the rag back into the water before cleaning his torso off from the blood, Dimitri asks her a question. "Tell me your name, woman. You are my savior, after all."

Byleth brings back the wet rag, and sits beside him on the bed as she gently rubs off the excess blood from his arm and torso. "My name is Byleth."

"Byleth." Dimitri tests her name softly, liking how it rolled off his tongue. He had never heard of such a name before, but he thought it quite pretty and also suiting of this woman, since she was so different than anyone he'd met before.

"Thank you for saving me, Byleth. You didn't have to do so, you should have left me to die. But I am in your debt. How am I to repay you?" He looks up at her, waiting for her response.

She opens a jar of healing salve, rubbing the substance over his injuries. He twitches in pain, but remains as still as he can as she takes care of him. "I saved you because I wanted to. No need to be in my debt. Why would I leave you to die?"

Dimitri looks down at the fur blankets, his eyes in indescribable emotional anguish. "I'm a monster. A heartless killer and a failure to my family. I let down my mother and father, and I am even unable to avenge them. Every day, I hear their cries, but I'm not strong enough to bring their killers to justice..." A tear slips from his eye, and his hands are balled into fists, nails digging into his skin. "Now look at me. My arm unusable, my eye injured… How am I supposed to avenge them as I am?"

Byleth wraps a large bandage around his arm, tying it off. "Your arm will be unusable for a short while, but it will not be more than a few weeks or less. The same goes for your eye, likely. I do not know your mother and father, but I'm sure that they are satisfied with you whether you can avenge them or not." Byleth gently squeezes his hand in comfort.

"But I must avenge them… I cannot have them linger in regret." Dimitri whispers, his heart clenching in pain. "I must."

Byleth finishes cleaning off and applying medicine to the rest of his body. "If you must avenge them, then go ahead. Just take care of yourself and don't loose sight of who you are."

Dimitri nods, falling back onto his pillow, as if Byleth's words had lifted a weight off his shoulders. "Yes, I will avenge them. Soon." Not much longer after he said his sentence, it appeared he had fallen into a deep slumber. Byleth looks down at this sleeping man, taking notice of how even in sleep, his face still looked tormented from the demons of his past. Although she still didn't know much, she did know that his family was taken from him unjustly, and that his heart longed for revenge. She felt the same way. Her father was taken from her last year. She never got to see his body, and simply received a letter from the castle saying that he had passed away from sickness. Byleth didn't believe any of it. Her father Jeralt had gone away for a few weeks to work at the castle as a temporary body guard, and that was his last mission. Byleth was suspicious of the castle, thinking that perhaps Jeralt had learned something he shouldn't have, and in turn the royals choose to kill him. After all, it was quite unusual that they would not bring back his body if he passed away. She was sure that they were hiding something, and she was sure that they had something to do with his death.

Byleth sets up a sleeping spot next to Dimitri, wanting to keep an eye on his condition and to make sure he didn't try to escape in the middle of the night. He seemed to be quite stubborn and prideful, she wouldn't put it past him to attempt to slip away even in his very injured state. She settles into her new bed beside him, her mind replaying the events of the day. She was quite surprised that she ended up saving and taking this man in. He was so mysterious, so tormented. He puzzled her and intrigued her, and she wanted to know more about him. She also found herself already growing fond of this man, despite only just meeting him. He was a great man, she could tell this from just their first meeting. Although his heart was tormented, she could see the brightness and kindness within him.

She could also see that he had gone through a great deal, and she felt this strange urge to aid him on his quest for revenge. Although she knew that Dimitri would probably only find her as a burden, she wanted to become closer to him and perhaps even his friend. She wanted to help him to avenge his family and find happiness.

Those were her last thoughts as she slipped into sleep.

_A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed, please leave me some feedback! I'd love it._


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thanks for the feedback so far! I'd love to hear more! I'm a sucker for reviews. _

_Dimitri sits at his dinner table in his home, waiting as his stepmother cooked him a meal. Although they were not related, she had always been his true mother to him since she raised him. Usually, since they lived in the castle and were of royal lineage, the servants would do the cooking for them. Occasionally, the queen would decide to cook a meal for her son, just to show her love for him. Dimitri loved the meals cooked by his stepmother much more than when the maids made it, so it was always an exciting time when his mother found the time to cook for him. Although he was reaching his 10__th__ birthday soon, his mother said he was still always her "little boy." Although he hated when she called him little, it made him smile anyways. _

"_Here is your soup, my dearest." His stepmother sets the bowl of soup on the wooden dining table. Dimitri looks up to his stepmother, only to see her face was contorted, deathly pale, bruised, bloody, and colored with death. Her lips were a pale purple, bloodless, and her eyes lacked any life. It was the same sight he saw at her funeral, the last time he ever saw her face. _

_Dimitri screams in anguish, and his stepmother slaps him across the face. "You are no son of mine. You need to avenge me. I have been taken from this world, and I won't be satisfied until that woman dies like I did. Until then, you are nothing to me!"_

Dimitri bolts up in his bed, a cry slipping from his lips at the nightmare of his mother. He could still picture how she looked in death, after the tragedy of Duscur. His mother was taken unfairly from him, murdered, and Dimitri knew it was the current queen Cornelia who had caused her death, as well as the death of his father. Cornelia also had accused himself of crimes of he did not commit and labelled him as a traitor before he was of age and could ascend his rightful throne. It was Cornelia's fault that he was now on the run from the countless assassins sent after him. He knew that horrible woman cared only about the throne, and she was willing to do anything to keep it. She had murdered his parents, and now she wanted to murder him. He cared much less about ascending his throne at this point, he wanted revenge for his parents so that they could rest in the afterlife in peace and without regret.

However, Dimitri found himself wanting death much more than the throne, after all he had been through. Sometimes he found himself thinking that it would be better to join his loved ones who had passed on, since he had no one left. But first, he knew he had to bring his parents' killer to justice.

Originally planning to start an assassination plot against queen Cornelia, he was now terribly injured and could not do so. He clenches his uninjured arm in frustration. He hated how powerless he was. When he comes out of his reverie, he finally notices that Byleth is laying beside him in the bed, sleeping soundly, her deep blue hair obscuring part of her face messily, and her pink lips pouting for some reason.

_This woman… Why does she sleep beside me? I should leave. I don't want to be a burden to her after she so kindly saved me. I can recover on my own, and then I can carry on with my assassination plot against that wench…_

Although his body ached terribly, he slowly starts to pull the fur blankets off himself, not wanting to wake her. Suddenly, as if Byleth knew he was trying to escape, she grasps at his hand, locking him in a death grip.

Dimitri gasps in shock at the sudden motion, but chuckles as he sees that Byleth has clung onto him in her sleep, as if she knew even while asleep that he was making his escape. He thinks that perhaps the reason why she chose to sleep beside him was to make sure he didn't want to leave in the middle of the night. It seemed her plan had been successful.

"Alright, I suppose fate has decided that for now, I am recovering with this woman. She is certainly stubborn… Why does she care for someone like me whom she just met? Such a waste." His lips curl up slightly in a small smile, nonetheless.

As it was still dark outside, Dimitri decides that more rest would do him some good. He slowly dips back under the fur blankets, still not wanting to rouse her from her sleep.

_Later…_

Byleth wakes with a feeling of something heavy upon her, like she was being smothered. She opens her cerulean eyes, feeling confusion at first as to what that sensation was. She looks to her side, seeing that the man she had saved the night prior, Dimitri, had his arm draped over her body, across her chest, like a sort of embrace. Her cheeks flush at his proximity and warmth. However, she can't help herself from staring at him. He was handsome and beautiful, with his long blond lashes, his sculpted face, and his broad muscular shoulders. It was very apparent to Byleth now that she was sleeping with a man, and she felt a bit ashamed of herself for some reason, although she knew nothing happened between them.

However, Byleth knew she would have to get breakfast ready for this man secretly, because although they had just met, it was already apparent he was quite independent and stubborn, and she knew he would insist on helping with food and supplies if he were awake, no matter how injured he was. Byleth also knew she should get new clean bandages ready for his wounds to make sure they healed properly.

Thus, started her mission to sneak out of Dimitri's strong sleeping embrace. It was a difficult one, but Byleth was able to slither out and away from his grip without waking him, surprisingly. With a nearby river, Byleth had decided that fish would do nicely for their breakfast. Although it was a time-consuming task, she was able to catch enough fish for them both. She was originally not planning on catching many fish, but she knew Dimitri was a big man, and thus needed more food.

She brings home the countless fish and sets out on the task of lighting her small fire pit and opening the front of the tent to let out the fire smoke. She feels great satisfaction at the first spark and the fire that follows, it was quite a pain to get started. Soon, the smell of smoked fish rouses Dimitri from his deep sleep. He was unbearably hungry, and the simple scent motivates his eyes to open. His mouth waters, and he sits upright in his bed, still sleepy eyed, checking out where the food scent was coming from.

He sees the small woman crouched by her fire pit, roasting fish over the flame. The fish were small but numerous, and he was immediately impressed by her fishing talent. Had this woman a million talents? Swordsmanship, fishing, medical knowledge, and the list was probably going to expand more as he spent more time with her.

Byleth notices Dimitri has awakened, and she smiles up at him. "Good morning. I caught some fish for our breakfast. It was quite a pain, but the flavor will surely be worth it."

Dimitri feels guilty immediately, thinking of her spending her morning digging through the river for food. "You did not have to go to such lengths… You do not have to feed me. I am enough of a burden to you already…" He looks down at the fur blankets, again frustrated at his powerless situation.

Byleth shakes her head. "I'd like to be your friend, Dimitri. Thus, if I'm your friend, I want to help you when you are in need."

His eyes widen in shock, those words sending a tremor through him. A friend? It had been so long since he had someone to call a friend. He had been fighting off assassins for three years so far and when he needed money to survive, he made his money through thievery and murder. He felt that he certainly did not deserve anyone in his life, much less a friend.

Dimitri shakes his head back at her. "No, Byleth. Why do you desire such a thing? I am a terrible man. You should steer clear of me. As soon as I am recovered enough to leave, I will never see you again. You should not associate yourself with someone like me."

With a sigh, Byleth takes the fish off the flame with her utensils, plopping them onto a plate. She walks towards the bed, sitting beside Dimitri with the plate still in hand. "If you are terrible, then what am I? I murder for a living, but I still desire to have someone to be close to. I feel you and I are very similar. I wish to be closer to you. I want to help you." As she says the final words, she looks at him, their eyes locking.

At her words, Dimitri feels his face blush. He felt a million emotions from this woman. It had been so long since he felt such warm emotions stirring within. He already felt a connection to her. They were both indeed similar in many ways. Becoming her friend, becoming closer to her… It all sounded too good to be true to Dimitri.

Feeling embarrassed and awkward mostly, Dimitri clears his throat in an attempt to gain composure of himself and his wavering emotions. "Well, perhaps we can be friends then. I'd… I'd like that." He murmurs, barely loud enough for her to hear.

Byleth smiles cheerily. "Okay, then. If we are friends now, let's eat breakfast together." She takes the fork, stabs it into the fish, cuts it into a bite size, and brings it towards Dimitri's mouth.

Dimitri stutters in embarrassment. "I can feed myself! What do you take me for?"

Smirking, Byleth brings the fish on the fork closer to his mouth, as she leans closer towards him, their arms touching Dimitri backs up slightly, trying to create distance between them as he blushes again. "You're injured, it's best for me to help you." Byleth states calmly as she closes the distance between them again.

"Alright, fine!" Dimitri leans forward, eating the fish off the fork, his arms crossed stubbornly, his face flushed from embarrassment.

Knowing this was hard for an independent man like Dimitri, she decides to offer him an incentive. "Maybe if you let me give you the rest of the fish for breakfast, I'll let you accompany me into town to assist me in buying more supplies."

And thus, Byleth was successfully able to bribe this stubborn man into letting her feed him fish. They agreed that if he took it easy and was careful of his injuries, he could go to town with her and help her with shopping. It was like taking candy from a baby, or so Byleth thought.

_A/N: Feed me more reviews! Please! Lol._


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I hope the story is enjoyable for you readers so far. Please take a moment to let me know what you think with a review! Also, Dimitri is such a precious boy!_

Byleth was successfully able to bribe Dimitri into letting her feed him fish, in exchange for him accompanying her on her shopping trip for supplies. It seemed quite the tantalizing offer to Dimitri, being the stubborn man he was. If she were to leave him alone in the tent while she went shopping, it would have made him feel useless and guilty, knowing that he could have gone with to assist her.

Although he wouldn't admit it, he also didn't want her leaving for a long time without him, since he would worry about her. Although she was an incredibly strong woman, she was still human, and she could still become harmed just like anyone else. She was the only living person in his life now who mattered to him. His family and friends had all perished. He didn't want her leaving his sight. If she was in his sight, he could be assured of her wellbeing.

Byleth could see that although he wouldn't admit it, it was clear that he didn't want to be separated. She was not sure of all his circumstances, but she knew he was not completely mentally stable and was very emotionally scarred, as well as knowing that he had no family left. Thus, she made the offer to him, even though she was sure he wouldn't be much help shopping since he had a very wounded arm, but she knew she would certainly appreciate his company.

After finishing breakfast, their first mission were clothing and disguises. After all, Byleth knew that for some reason, Dimitri was labelled as a traitor. Although she did not think he truly was, she knew that him going out in his usual getup may attract attention from any potential assassins or mercenaries hired to go after him. Dimitri agreed that he also did not want any potential dangers while shopping, and he agreed that if they went into town, he would change from his usual uniform and wear something that would blend in with the rest of the townspeople.

Thinking about their plan of blending in and being normal townspeople, Byleth decided that perhaps she would stand out as well. Her usual mercenary getup was rather flashy and unique, with the lace stockings, shorts, boots, crop top, and cape. She decides that if they are going out, she would wear something more casual.

Luckily, Byleth had kept many of Jeralt's old clothes, for sentimental sake. However, it seemed that they were now to come in handy. Both men had similar builds, so his clothes would fit Dimitri. He decides on white button-down shirt and dark brown slacks. It was a very modest yet refreshing outfit, and Dimitri felt like a different man in it. He always had preferred darker clothing, because he felt it suited a dark man like himself, and blood also would not show very much through the dark clothing if he were wounded. Wearing white was very different for him.

As Byleth digs through her clothing in her bag, she comes to a sudden decision. "Dimitri, before we go to town, I am going to bathe in the river that is nearby."

"Okay… Call me if anything bad happens." Dimitri says, sitting down on the bed. "I'll await your arrival."

Byleth looks up from her clothing bag to him. "While I'm bathing, don't even think of sneaking away to escape. I'll certainly find you."

Dimitri chuckles lightly. "The thought hadn't even crossed my mind, friend. Please do hurry back, I look forward to our trip."

With a small grin, Byleth decides that she wants to try to tease the ever-uptight Dimitri a little. She was curious of how he would react. "And while I bathe… Don't think of peeking at me, either." She scans his face for a reaction to her provocative ploy.

She is amused and pleased to watch as his face lights up red with a deep blush, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. It appeared that he didn't know what to say for a moment. "B-Byleth! Don't' be preposterous! I can assure you that I am a gentleman. I would never do such a thing. Spying on a bathing woman… I would not do that. It is unthinkable." Much to his dismay, at her suggestion of the act, he found himself involuntarily picturing her disrobing by the river, the clothes sliding down her shapely curves and down the slope of her narrow back and waist…

Before he knew it, he found himself rather aroused by the thought and quickly pushed it from his mind, disgusted at how his own thoughts betrayed him.

"Okay, Dimitri." Byleth laughs at his loss of composure and his cute stubbornness. "I shall be back shortly from my bath." With that, she exits the tent, heading for the riverside. This leaves Dimitri on his own, whom is deep in thought.

Dimitri finds his thoughts going straight towards the bathing Byleth again. He slaps his own hand to punish his sinful thoughts, but he can't get the image of her taking off her clothes out of his mind. He imagines her stopping by the river, first removing her cape, exposing her pale pink shoulders. Then pulling off her shorts, exposing her lace clad thighs, and then her shirt, exposing her ample breasts…

Shaking his head back and forth, Dimitri tries to get those thoughts out of his mind. "Gods, what have I become? I am such a disgraceful beast." He mutters to himself in disgust. "But perhaps after she is done, I should also bathe…"

While waiting for Byleth to finish her bath, Dimitri explores her tent briefly. It was quite small and modest, and she did not have many goods with her other than the necessities. It seemed she was quite an independent woman who was not very concerned with the frivolities and luxuries of life, and that her entire life was centered around her wandering mercenary lifestyle. He respected her a great deal, seeing how skilled she was with the blade, as well as seeing her strength and resourcefulness. She was amazing. He had never met a woman like her before, much less a man.

Dimitri sees her sword propped up against the tent wall and goes to examine it out of curiosity. It was a well-polished and sharpened blade, but it was clear it had seen many battles with the scuffs on it. But the blade was made very well and from good steel, she must have spent a great deal of money on it. It seemed the one luxurious item in her humble tent. He runs his fingers along the blade, feeling the cold metal on his fingers.

"Have you taken a liking to my blade?" Dimitri gasps in surprise at the sudden intrusion, turning around to be face to face to Byleth. Well, face to chest. She was more than a head shorter than him, but this never seemed to bother her, she was always very calm and collected, and she always got too close for his comfort, like she had no sense of personal space. It was quite unnerving to Dimitri, as he was undoubtedly attracted to her, and yet she was always getting very close to him.

"Yes, I was admiring the craftsmanship of the sword. It also seems you take good care of it." Dimitri says with admiration. His eyes widen as they trail downwards to look at her and sees that she has chosen a different outfit for their trip to town. She chose a white long sleeve cotton shirt which laced up in the front and had a slight v neck to it, so it plunged down her neck to barely expose the tops of her breasts. In addition, she wore a black skirt which was quite short in Dimitri's opinion, it rested mid-thigh and exposed her shapely legs. It was also clear she did not wait to dry herself after the bath before putting on the new clothing, so she and the clothes were sopping wet. This did not bode well with the white shirt; it became completely see through and Dimitri could see the outline of her breasts through it.

_Did this woman even look at herself before putting on these clothes? It is completely indecent! Does she wish to test the limits of my self-control? No… I must be gentleman. I will not be improper or indecent._

He averts his eyes and head to the side, trying to keep his gaze off her sexy state. The oblivious Byleth is confused at his sudden aversion and his very flushed face. "Dimitri, what is the matter? Are you ill? Are your wounds hurting again?"

Feeling very flustered and trapped, Dimitri retreats to the bed, sitting upon the side of it, still keeping his gaze off her. "No, nothing of the sort. Do not worry yourself with the likes of me. I am fine."

Byleth feels confused and a bit sad at his sudden avoidance of her. She approaches the bed where he sits and puts her arms on either side of him, trapping him. With the sudden lack of personal space and their faces only a few inches apart, he finally locks eyes with her. "Dimitri, have I done anything to offend you? Why do you suddenly avoid me?"

_Gods… This stubborn and oblivious woman! _Dimitri's face is on fire practically with embarrassment at their current positions and her state of clothing, and he didn't know how much more of it he could take.

He shrugs off his blue and grey fur robe, wrapping it around her shoulders and gently pulling it forward to cover her up. Byleth watches this unfold in confusion but also feeling very cozy. "Dimitri?" She asks hesitantly, hoping he would explain his actions.

"It… It is unproper for a woman to be in such a state of clothing while in the presence of a man." Dimitri mumbles, barely loud enough for her to hear him. "I will take a bath as well, when I return let us go into town." With that, he walks off abruptly, his face still very obviously embarrassed.

For the first time, Byleth looks down at herself. She sees that her white cotton shirt was very wet, and that you could see through it. "Is this why he was so bothered?" Byleth questions to herself. "Such a shy yet proper gentleman…" She keeps the grey and blue robe wrapped around herself, liking how warm it was. It also smelled of Dimitri, of strong pine needles and a bit of sweat. It was quite a masculine scent, and her cheeks lightly dust with pink as she thinks of how he had looked at her earlier and what happened between them.

While waiting for him to finish his bath, Byleth starts anticipating their trip to town. She was not sure of all they were to do yet, but she knew that they needed new medical supplies and ingredients to cook. But she also found herself thinking that perhaps if they had time and Dimitri agreed, they could visit the local teahouse to relax and have a cup. Byleth had always been fond of tea and it always relaxed her frazzled nerves after a long day's work. She hoped that perhaps this would relax the stressed and anguished Dimitri and they could get to know each other better.

But she also thought Dimitri to be quite focused and stern, maybe he did not want to partake in such frivolities. However, Byleth knew it was worth the shot and she decided that she would bring it up to him as soon as he returned from his bath.

_A/N: Sorry for the short delay on the chapter. Reviews are greatly appreciated, and I'd love to know what you guys think! Really!_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far! I'd love some more!_

Byleth sits upon her bed, feeling bored as she waits for Dimitri to return from his bath. She was thinking about how she should bring up the subject of the teahouse to him. She did not know him very well yet, she was not sure if he even liked tea.

She snuggles beneath his blue and grey fur cloak he lent to her, waiting. It felt quite strange to be without him, as they had spent the last day together nearly constantly. It was very uncommon to her, to miss someone. Other than her father, Byleth had always travelled alone. She realizes that she had already grown quite attached to this man, much to her surprise.

However, Byleth suddenly remembers that she had not changed Dimitri's bandages yet. Since they were new and deep wounds, it would be best to clean them and change the bandage at least once per day. She knew that Dimitri would likely protest, being the stubborn and independent man that he was, but it was best to do it to prevent infection. She hops off the bed and starts digging through her backpack for her medical supply kit, preparing the healing salve and bandages.

A sudden thud of footsteps startles Byleth from her work, causing her to gasp and quickly look up, her hand automatically reaching for her sword. It appeared Dimitri had just returned from his bath. He looks down at her from the entrance of the tent, feeling guilty that he had startled her so badly. "Byleth? I am so sorry. I did not mean to frighten you."

She stands up, feeling ashamed that he saw her in such a state. She was not even sure why she had been so startled in the first place. "It is fine, I was just a bit startled. Anyways, can you please sit on the bed for me? It is about time we changed your bandages."

Dimitri shakes his head adamantly. "No worries, Byleth. We just changed them yesterday. I am fine-"

"Dimitri. Please." Byleth cuts him off mid-sentence. With the serious look in her eyes, Dimitri decides it was best for him to comply. He obediently heads for the bed, sitting down while looking at her expectantly. His hair was still wet from his bath, and it dripped lightly onto the covers.

"First I will dry your hair a bit more so that the bandage won't slip off. I will be careful not to hurt your eye, okay?"

Dimitri nods. "Thank you very much." He says earnestly.

She grabs a towel, leans forward towards him, which was a bit too close for comfort for Dimitri. She begins to lightly ruffle his hair with the towel, absorbing the water. He finds himself involuntarily smiling a bit at the caring actions. It tickled a bit and felt good. The last time someone dried his hair was when he was a small child, and it was his mother who did it for him.

She leans forward towards him a bit more to gain better access to his hair, however this brought her chest closer to his face, to his dismay. He found himself face to face with her ample breasts. It appeared she didn't notice this, as she leaned forward even more, causing her chest to lightly bump against his face. He blushes as she continues to rub against him unknowingly. He was not sure how she couldn't notice this; she was so oblivious! He wasn't sure how much longer he could take this physical contact and closeness before he lost control of himself.

She finally finishes towel drying his hair, and he is relieved as she moves her chest from his face. "I'll remove your old bandage now." She slowly unravels the bandage from around his head and around his eye, letting it fall to the ground. Turning her gaze downward, she suddenly starts unbuttoning his white shirt without warning.

"B-Byleth, what are you-"

"I'm going to check on your torso injuries. Although I didn't bandage them since they were not deep, I want to make sure they are not infected. It will also be easier to change your arm bandage if you do not have a shirt."

Dimitri nods, but he cannot help but blush as she slowly but deftly unbuttons his shirt, exposing his chest to her. She stares intently at his chest wounds, and Dimitri feels tension in the air as she does so. He had never had a woman so close to him before, even if she was simply treating his wounds…

"The torso wounds seem to be healingly nicely, but I am more worried about your eye and arm injuries…" Byleth unravels the bandage from his arm and checks how it is doing. It hadn't changed much from the night before, although the incision part of the wound had scabbed over, it still was a giant wound and would take much longer to heal. The good news, however, was that it was not infected. She applies healing salve and alcohol, before softly wrapping it up into a new fresh bandage. She then moves to his eye, inspecting it. It was still quite bloodshot and looked cloudy, and she could see a cut on it. There was also the cut slightly below his eye as well.

"How is your right eye? Can you see? Does it hurt?"

Dimitri blinks once, testing it. "I can still see, but my vision in this eye is very blurry. It also hurts a lot." He winces as his eye starts to throb in pain once again.

"For now, just keep it closed as much as you can like before. I'll make you a new bandage."

She disinfects the area around his eye, applies more medicine, and fashion him another eyepatch bandage. She ties off the back, and finishes up her work, packing up all her equipment. "Well, Dimitri. Are you still feeling well enough to go into town?"

Dimitri gets up from the bed, smiling at her. "Yes, of course. Let us be off."

_Later…_

They enter town together, noticing that it was extremely crowded and busy. Likely because it was Sunday, and everyone was going about their errands. Dimitri surveys the crowd, already anticipating that were they to enter the throng of people, they would likely get separated. He hesitantly takes her hand in his own, his cheeks flushing. Byleth is surprised at the sudden contact, and she looks up at him quizzically. "Let us hold hands for now so that we do not lose each other in this chaos."

Byleth nods, although she also finds herself blushing a bit at the contact between them. They head towards the medical supplies store first. As Byleth scans the shelves picking out the best bandages, Dimitri finds himself feeling guilty again. "Byleth, I'm sorry. Because I was wounded, you already need to restock and-" Byleth puts a hand over his lips, abruptly ending his apologies. "That is enough from you, mister."

Dimitri can't help but chuckle. Byleth certainly had a sense of humor. "Alright, alright. For now, I'll accept your help. But soon I will help you in return."

They finish their medical shopping, picking up some replacement bandages as well as a refill of alcohol and healing salve. They then head towards the grocer.

As they enter the grocer, Byleth turns towards her companion. "Tell me, Dimitri. What foods do you like to eat? I am not the best cook, but I hope to make something that can appease your palette."

"Really, anything would do…" He responds. However, he notices that frustrated look Byleth gets whenever he acts guilty and stubborn, so he decides to give in yet again to his cute companion. "Alright… I do quite enjoy any kind of meat, especially steak. Potatoes or corn as well, but I am not the biggest fan of vegetables. However, I must warn you. I am a terrible cook."

Byleth grins slightly, realizing his taste in foods is like his own. "I do also love meat… Potatoes as well. I'll be sure to pick up lots of those. You don't have to make the meals, it's okay. Though someday it may be amusing to watch you attempt."

Laughing, Dimitri shakes his head. "Byleth! Surely such a thing would not amuse you. I will have to prove you wrong, I will surely make a delicious meal for us."

Byleth grins back at him. "Alright, I will hold you to that statement. Someday, make us a delicious meal. But for now, I think I'd like to survive the rest of today, so I shall prepare us dinner."

"Do not underestimate me, I will definitely prepare an amazing meal. And what do you mean, survive? I am not that terrible of a cook, I promise you…" He thinks back to his limited experiences in the kitchen and how terribly they went, thinking that perhaps she was smart to not allow him to enter the kitchen just yet.

They pick out some ingredients for the next few days, then exit the grocer. As they walk hand in hand with their bags, Byleth speaks suddenly. "Dimitri, tell me. Would you fancy a cup of tea at the local teahouse?"

Dimitri is a bit taken aback and surprised at her offer, but a small smile breaks out upon his face. "I would love to. That sounds delightful."

Byleth leads them to the local teahouse, a grin making its way onto her face yet again. She notices that she had been smiling so much since she met Dimitri, it was a change for her. But she welcomed the change, smiling certainly felt good.

The teahouse was a small establishment at the end of the town, it was a wooden traditional building with an arch entrance. They enter through the gate, sniffing the air as the sweet smell of tea wafts into their noses. As they go through the front door, a ringing bell announces their arrival, and a happy looking waiter leads them to their table. They sit down across from each other at a dark oak looking table, setting down their shopping supplies beside their chairs.

"Good day, thank you for visiting our teahouse. What can I get you started with today?"

Dimitri had not had tea in a long time, and even before he had been thrown out of the kingdom and lived the life of a refugee, he didn't have tea very often, so he could not remember his favorites. He looks to Byleth. "I am not very knowledgeable with tea, can you choose one for us please?"

Byleth thinks about Dimitri and what tea he could possibly like. She considers the effects of all the teas and which ones could possibly help him. After a few seconds of thought, she decides on chamomile.

"2 cups of chamomile, please."

The waiter nods, heading off into the kitchen. Dimitri looks across at Byleth, not sure what to talk about. "Chamomile, eh? It has been so long since I had tea… Thank you so much for inviting me today."

Byleth nods back at him. "Of course. I wanted to relax with you today, Dimitri."

The area lapses into a comfortable silence, both parties completely content with it. It was relaxing, just sitting together and enjoying the company of one another.

She decides to bring up topics of interest as they wait for their tea. "What is your weapon of choice?"

His eyes light up at the topic of weapons. "I always prefer to use a spear. A sword is okay, but I have never taken to the axe. However, the spear feels the most natural to me."

"I see. However, you don't have a weapon with you. What happened to your spear?"

He shakes his head to himself, running his hands through his hair at the frustration of the memory. "Last week, I was attacked by a large group of assassins. I attempted to win, but was very badly injured, and in the sheer force of their numbers, I had to flee for my life, leaving my spear behind."

Byleth leans forward on the table, intrigued by his story. "Is that why you were so badly injured already when I found you that night?"

"Yes, normally I could have taken a measly group of low lives like that, but I was already very injured, and my dominant arm was injured and useless. It was a very pitiful situation, to be rendered completely powerless like that. I attempted to use my other arm, but it was so difficult I could hardly aim…"

Byleth notices the sheer frustration and anger in his eyes and decides to change the subject a little. "Since you have no weapon now, would you like to buy a new weapon? After all, if we are attacked, you want something to defend yourself with."

"Yes, that would be a good idea. I will try my best to protect you with all of my power if we are to be attacked. I doubt I will be of much use in my state, though…" He looks down at his hands in resentment.

The waiter brings a tray with 2 teacups to them, setting it upon the table. "Here you go. Thank you." He leaves promptly, and they both reach for their cups, bringing the tea to their mouths. Dimitri inhales the aroma before drinking it first, loving how it smelled. "Mmm, this smells delightful." He tips the cup back, drinking it slowly. "So delicious… You certainly made a good recommendation, Byleth."

Byleth sips her tea as well, liking the taste. However, she secretly liking seeing how much Dimitri loved it more.

"Tell me about yourself, Dimitri."

He abruptly stops sipping his tea in surprise, nearly going into a fit of coughs. "Me? Oh, this is a bit on the spot… I'm not sure what I should tell you. I like anything to do with fighting, really. Weapon maintenance, weapon collecting, and training. I suppose I do like to pick up a book every now and then to relax. I'm just not good with delicate activities… Like cooking or needlework…"

Byleth chuckles. "I could never see you as a man of needlework… hehe."

He blushes lightly. "Byleth, you find that funny? Why do you mock me so?" He accuses her in a pretending manner.

"Oh, Dimitri. You are so incapable. Must I cook, clean, and knit for you?"

He finds himself pouting a little. "Of course not. I am a perfectly capable man, I will prove that to you soon."

They go back to sipping their tea, and get to know each other more over conversations. They mostly ended up talking about cool weapons and training together, as well as a few books they had both read. After leaving money on the table for the waiter, they exit the teahouse, both in high spirits.

"Thank you so much for inviting me out today, Byleth. I had a wonderful time. I loved getting to know you better." He looks down at her with a grin, and she smiles back up at him. They walk hand in hand throughout town, heading towards the forest where their tent was set up. It was starting to get a bit dark out and harder to see, so both were a big angsty to get back to the comfort of their tent.

However, once they reach her tent, both of them knew something wasn't right, the atmosphere felt thick with tension, with animosity…

"Byleth, get behind me." Dimitri whispers. He moves forwards in front of her, scanning the surroundings for enemies. A javelin suddenly rips through the air, whizzing towards Byleth. Dimitri leaps towards her in an attempt to push her out of the way, but it ends up piercing his upper arm.

"Dimitri!" Byleth cries in horror as blood gushes from his wound.

"I'm fine…" He mutters, clearly in agony. "Let's find and kill those bastards."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Thanks for all the feedback so far! I'm loving it! But the more the merrier._

"Let's find and kill those bastards." Dimitri hisses violently, his eyes clouded over in bloodlust. He tears the javelin from his arm, taking it in his uninjured arm as a weapon of choice. It seemed his already hard demeanor had become brutal. "We'll tear the flesh from their bones!"

Byleth nods in agreement but could not help but be disturbed by the sudden change in him. She had seen this side of him briefly when she saved him in the forest before but seeing it up close and personal was definitely a shock.

They both scan their surroundings more, keeping their eyes and ears open for any giveaways to the location of the enemy. The javelin had seemingly come from nowhere, and both were on high alert. Dimitri crouches in a rugged battle stance, reminding Byleth of a ravenous beast who was looking for his prey.

Suddenly, a twig snaps from the bushes nearby. This was their chance to encounter the enemy now that they had given away their location, so Byleth and Dimitri rush towards the bushes where the snap had come from. They push aside the leaves and find their assailants taking cover behind the undergrowth. There were around 8 of them, all dressed in armor with swords at their sides. It appeared they were either assassins or mercenaries hired to kill them. Their enemies notice their approach, and all charge into battle against them.

Although they were outnumbered, the skill of their enemies were no match for Dimitri's and Byleth's mastery of combat. But still, numbers are numbers, and this would be no easy battle. It seemed that their enemies were judging Byleth based on her small stature, and they were ganging up on Dimitri while only two men were going for Byleth. This was a mistake on their part, as Byleth was easily able to take on the two inexperienced fighters. They both charge at her head on, swinging their blade at her chest, but she dodges swiftly, darting around them and striking down the first man who had left his back wide open. The other man howls in anguish at the loss of his comrade and strikes at Byleth again. Byleth swings her sword back, and their blades clash. However, Byleth is stronger. She pushes forward, knocking him down onto the grass with her sheer strength. He screams in fear beneath her, and begins to beg for his life, but she slices at his neck, ending his pleas and his life instantaneously. Blood spurts from his neck, soiling the grass and her blade.

While all this was going on, Dimitri had been having trouble facing six enemies at once. He did his best to block and dodge all the incoming strikes. He performed well despite his dominant arm being injured, striking down two of the men quickly with his javelin after they charged for him. However, when the 4 men went for him at once, he had just avoided most of the attacks but the final attack he was not going to be able to avoid. Byleth had just finished off her enemies and she sees Dimitri's struggle and the incoming attack upon him, and she dives forward to push him out of harm's way, but she was not fast enough, and the blade pierces her midsection.

She gasps in pain as the blade enters her, and Dimitri screams in agony and anguish as he sees that she is injured. However, he knows he must first finish his foes before he can aid her. Rage fueling him more than ever before, he swiftly strikes down the man who had hurt Byleth and ends his enemies violently and without mercy. Once he has killed them, he rushes to Byleth's side. She was curled up on the grass, blood dripping from her abdomen. Although his arm hurt terribly and was still bleeding from when the javelin pierced it, he thought nothing of it and gently lifts her and carries her bridal style back to their tent for medical treatment. He cradles her to his chest as he does so, embracing her. Her wound seemed serious and his heart burned in guilt and agony at the situation. He wanted to protect her, but she had protected him instead. He never wanted her to be hurt. "Why would you protect someone like me… You are a fool. I cannot lose you."

Byleth had her eyes closed and Dimitri thought she had passed out from her wounds, but she opens her eyes slightly. "Not… a fool. You're important… to me. I did what I had to." She had trouble forming these words as her vision was cloudy and she felt like she was about to pass out, but she wanted him to know that he was important and that she wanted to protect him, and that he deserved to be protected. Those were her last thoughts before her consciousness left her and the blood loss and trauma caused her to pass out.

Dimitri's heart throbs and squeezes in pain when he sees Byleth's state and thinks of what she said to him. He knew he was a monster, but it made him feel so warm inside when she said he was important to her. It made him feel cared for, for the first time in a while. It was like his life had meaning and value again, for something other than revenge for his parents.

He reaches the tent, carrying her inside. Laying her upon the bed with great care not to injure her further or cause her more pain, he looks around for her bag of medical supplies. Although his medical knowledge was very limited, he knew the basics to treat a wound. He usually would ignore minor injuries while on the run from assassins, but whenever he had a major injury that needed treatment, he was able to take care of it in order to preserve his life or to prevent infection.

After finding the medical supply kit, he rushes through his work due to his stress and nerves at the situation, his hands trembling as he unravels a bandage and brings alcohol for the wound to her bedside.

Tears were clouding his vision the entire time, and he wipes them away so he can see to work on her wounds. In the back of his mind, he realizes that already, although they had only known each other for a few days, this woman had already become very important to him. For the last few years he had little to no contact with anyone, but he was too busy plotting his revenge or killing assassins and bandits to think of how his needs weren't being met, or to think of how he was completely broken inside and so very lonely. It was now clear how much he had needed someone in his life like Byleth, and it was so clear how much he had been craving closeness and a relationship with another. He lifts her shirt slightly to tend to her wound. It was a large gash, a few inches in length, and rather deep. He cleans off the excess blood, disinfects the area, and gently wraps a bandage around the wound. He breathes a sigh of relief as she is still breathing, no more blood flowing from the wound. Now that the wound was closed, it simply had to heal, hopefully without infection. It was a good thing they were close to their tent and supplies, or else she may had bled out if they had to travel too far to reach supplies.

The tension had been released from him as now he knew Byleth was going to be okay, and he now realizes that his body hurts terribly, both from the javelin wound in his arm and it felt like his other injuries had reopened again during the fight. It seemed he would be spending much more time with Byleth, now that they were both injured and would definitely be relying on each other. Although he felt terrible for her and was so upset she was hurt in the battle, staying longer with Byleth didn't sound too bad. It sounded amazing to him, in fact.

However, along with the pain returning to him, he also realizes he is terribly exhausted after the battle and the new wounds, and barely able to keep his eyes open. Although he knew Byleth would likely be upset with him if she knew he didn't bandage himself properly before sleeping, he felt that the wounds were not too terrible and did not matter, and the lure of sleep was much too strong for him to avoid. He barely makes it under the covers next to Byleth before slipping off to sleep.

However, his last thought before slipping into sleep was that he and Byleth should move their tent as soon as possible, as there was a possibility that more assassins could be on the way, since a group had already tried to attack them. If there were more, then they would be on their way. It would be safest to leave. He decides that one night of rest should be fine since they had just killed a group of them and it would take a long time for reinforcements, and he knew that he and Byleth were too wounded at the moment to move camp. He reluctantly lets sleep take him away, annoyed at his inability to keep going, still feeling that worry of more enemies in the back of his mind.

_Later…_

Hours have passed, and dawn breaks upon the horizon. Strange footsteps awake Byleth from her pitiful and painful sleep. The last thing she remembered was being carried by Dimitri after being wounded, and she was surprised to be in her bed. She assumes that Dimitri brought her back and treated her and feels reassured when she sees his sleeping form beside her. However, the issue of the footsteps. They seemed to be coming closer, it was clear whomever was walking did not care for stealth. It seemed to be a group of what sounded like three or four men. Her sleepiness gone, she is on high alert now. It was possible that it was reinforcements from the last group they fought. She leans over the bed, shaking Dimitri awake. He jolts up when she shakes him, his one eye wide and surprised, his other concealed by the bandage still. He sees the dangerous and cautious look in her eyes, and he knows something is amiss. He too hears the approaching group, and he swiftly climbs out of bed, readying his javelin. Byleth does the same, unsheathing her sword and preparing herself.

Dimitri curses himself internally, knowing he should have listened to his gut the night before no matter how tired and injured he was.

Three men approach the tent, axes in hand. They appear to be lowly assassins or bandits, much like the group from the night prior. There were less men than before, but Dimitri and Byleth were very injured. Both were not confident in this battle, but it was going to happen regardless. Dimitri's protective instincts kick in, and he doesn't want her injuring herself anymore, especially if it is for his sake. He charges forward with his weapon, catching one of the men off guard and slicing at his neck, ending his life. The other men kick into action, swinging their axes wildly at Dimitri. Byleth rushes to help, but it seems that Dimitri had everything figured out. He wrestles both men to the ground with inhuman strength and rage, and he begins to stab at them with his javelin. Both men seemed to die relatively quickly, but Dimitri still continued to stab at their bodies like he had been driven mad.

"I'll kill you! There will be nothing left but bone when I am done with you!" He continues to drive the blade into their bodies, over and over again. "Dogs of the disgusting queen! I will kill her like I killed you!"

Byleth watches for a moment in horror at his behavior, and she approaches him a bit fearful and taken aback. "Dimitri, stop this. They have already passed on." As he raised his arm for another strike against the corpses, she grabs it mid air to stop him. "We should leave this place before more like them approach us."

Dimitri does not look away from the bodies, and he shakes off Byleth's hand coldly. "It does not matter. I will tear apart any who come for us."

"Let us not sacrifice any more lives needlessly, we should move camps so we can recover in peace." She takes Dimitri's hand again, pulling him up from his sitting position and away from the bodies. She leads him towards the bed so they can have a moment of rest to assess how their injuries were doing and to plan their move. He sits on the bed, feeling lethargic now that he had snapped out of his murderous rage.

Suddenly, without warning, he crumples to the ground. Byleth is in shock at the sudden development and she crawls down beside him to see what was happening. He is laying on his side, his hands drawing up to cover his face. "Dimitri?" She questions quietly.

He murmurs things under his breath, so quiet that she cannot even hear. She leans forward to listen to him, although it appeared that he was not even aware of her presence.

"I promise I will bring you her cursed head. I will make sure you can rest in peace! Please don't abandon me! I will do everything in my power!"

Byleth realizes that he is having some sort of out of body episode or some sort of vision, she is not sure which. But he was talking to those who were not there, and he was ignoring Byleth completely, even when she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Mother, father. Please do not look at me with scorn in your eyes. I will keep my promise. I am sorry that I am too weak. I will kill her. I will tear her apart." He begins to rock back and forth, shaking violently and running his hands back and forth through his hair in anguish.

"Dimitri, come back to me please." Byleth realizes that Dimitri was likely hearing the voices of his loved ones who were taken unfairly. She knew he had been through a terrible deal, and it was now clear that he was completely broken inside. Tears begin to well up in her eyes as she sees her friend going through such an ordeal. Although she struggled, she managed to grab his shoulders and pull him up from the laying position he was in so she could pry the hands off his face and look him in the eye. "Dimitri, please come back to me. I'm right here for you. I'll help you attain the revenge you seek. I'll help you recover. But first I need you here." She embraces him tightly, despite her wounds protesting it. She hoped that her pleas would not go unheard of and that she could help bring him from the darkness he was suspended in at the moment.

The shaking and trembling from Dimitri ceases, his sight returns, and the demanding voices fade. He returns her embrace, wrapping his arms around her so tight that she was sure there would be bruises later. But she didn't' care. "Byleth… Byleth…" He murmurs her name in distress. She rubs her hands in circles on his back in hopes to comfort him. "I am here. Do not worry." She whispers back to him.

Her heart splits in two at the sight of this broken man. She knew that he had terrible circumstances and his family was taken from him unfairly, but she never knew just how tortured and shattered he really was. With this new knowledge, she knew that she must stay by his side.


End file.
